Well production apparatus with fluid operated valve

ABSTRACT

A well production apparatus including an improved valve adapted to be positioned in a well production string and operated responsive to a pressure fluid from the wellhead to open and close flow through the production string. The valve is positioned in the tubing hanger and is retained in open position during running by engagement with the running string.

United States Patent [72] Inventor James D. Mott Houston, Tex. {21 App]. No. 814.835 [22) Filed May 15, 1969 [451 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 (73] Assignee Brown 011 Took, Inc.

Houston, Tex.

( 54] WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS WITH FLUID OPERATED VALVE 3 Claims, 23 Drawing P15.

[52] US. Cl 166/85, 166/87, 166/224 [51] lnt.Cl E21b33/04 {50] Fteldolsearch 166.15,.6, 75, 85-87, 95, 97, 72, 224; 251/89 [56] Refer-eons Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,007,669 11/1961 Fredd 166/72 X 3,310,107 3/1967 Yancey 166/85 X 3,411,576 11/1968 Taylor 166/.5 3,411,584 11/1968 Sizeret a1. 166/72 3,426,845 2/1969 Dollison 166/85 X 3,454,084 7/1969 Sizer 7 i 166/72 X 3,457,991 7/1969 Sizer et a1. 166/72 X Primary Examiner1an A. Calvert Attorneys-J. Vincent Martin, Joe E. Edwards and Jack R.

Springgate ABSTRACT: A well production apparatus including an improved valve adapted to be positioned in a well production string and operated responsive to a pressure fluid from the wellhead to open and close flow through the production string. The valve is positioned in the tubing hanger and is retained in open position during running by engagement with the running string.

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SHEET 15 UP 18 PATENTED AUG24 I971 SHEET 15 0F 18 A T7 Alf/5 WELL PRODUCTION APPARATUS WITH FLUID OPERATED VALVE SUMMARY The present invention relates to a well production apparatus including an improved remotely operated valve.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve for a production string which is easily and positively controlled from the wellhead.

Another object is to provide an improved well string in which the production flow may be controlled from a remote position.

Still another object is to provide an improved production well string which is suitable for an underwater well and which includes a remote controlled valve for controlling the production through the production string.

Still a further object is to provide an improved remotely controlled valve for a production string which may be pulled and replaced without pulling the production tubing.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved remotely controlled valve structure which may be installed on each string of dual completion well production strings to control the production flow therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are hereinafter set forth and explained with reference to the forms of the present invention illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a sectional view of the upper end of a dual production string well including the remote control tubing valve, with the strings and tubing hanger being run into a well on a running tool.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the running tool being removed and showing the closing of the tubing valves.

FIG. 3 is another sectional view of the same structure illustrating the diverter plug in landed position and the tubing valves closed.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lines 4-4 in FIG. 3 to show the control passages for the tubing valves.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the tubing valves in open position.

FIG. 6 is another sectional view of the well structure illustrating the removal of the tubing hanger and the tubing string.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 in FIG. 1 illustrating the orienting of the tubing hanger in the body.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. I to illustrate the passages communicating to the tubing valves.

FIG. 9 is another sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. I through the tubing valves.

FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 10- 10 in FIG. I showing the latching means for the tubing hanger structure.

FIG. 11 is an elevation view of the ball valve used in the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the ball valve shown in FIG. I].

FIGS. 13A and 13B (13B being the lower extension of 13A) are sectional views of the preferred form of structure of the present invention with the tubing valves held open.

FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view of the structure shown in FIGS. [3A and 13B showing the tubing valves in closed position.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are sectional views taken along lines I5A1SA and [SB-[5B in FIGS. 13A and 13B, respectively.

FIGS. 16A and [6B are partial sectional view of the structure of the preferred form of the present invention to illustrate the control passages for the tubing valves taken along line l6l6in FIG. I9.

FIG. I7 is another sectional view to show the control passages for the tubing valves taken along line 17-17 in FIG. 19.

FIG. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 18- 18in FIG. 13A.

FIG. I9 is a transverse sectional view taken along line l9- 19 in FIG. 13A.

FIGJZO is a schematic sectional view of the control system of the preferred form of the invention for the tubing valves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The structure illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10 is a typical underwater well completion embodying the improved valve of the present invention in each of the dual production strings. This structure includes the mandrel M which supports the casing C, the dual string tubing hanger H which supports the tubing strings T, and the completion means, such as the diverter body B, which is suitably secured in the mandrel M by the latch L.

As shown in FIG. 1, the running strings R are running the tubing strings T and the tubing hanger I-I into position within the diverter body B. The remotely controlled ball valves V are mounted in the sleeves S which are slidably positioned within the bores through the tubing hanger H. The valves V are retained in open position by the running strings R during running as shown in FIG. 1 and hereinafter explained.

The ball valves V are retained between an upper seat 10 and a lower seat 12 defined in the sleeves S. The ball valves V have a generally spherical shape with a bore 14 extending through the ball valves and include a means for actuation between open and closed positions responsive to axial movement of the sleeves 5. Such actuation means includes the pins 16 which are secured in the tubing hanger H and extend through slots in the sleeve S into the grooves 18 defined in the sides of the valves V. Thus, as sleeves S and valves V move axially of the hanger H, the engagement of the pins 16 in the grooves 18 causes the ball valves V to rotate. The open or closed positions of the valves V are thus determined by the position of the sleeves S in the hanger H.

The valves V are open, i.e., their bores 14 register with the bores of the sleeves S above and below the valves, when the sleeves S are in their lowermost position with respect to tubing hanger H. The sleeves S are also biased in an upward direction by a biasing means so that the valves V are biased toward their closed position. The biasing means includes the springs 20 which surround the lower portions of sleeves S and are confined between the upwardly facing internal shoulders 22 on the tubing hanger and the downwardly facing external shoulders 24 on the sleeves S.

In running tubing strings T, it is desired that the strings remain open. As previously mentioned, the running strings R retain the valves V in open position during running by the engagement of the lower end 26 of the running strings R with the upper ends of the sleeves S. Since the strings R thread into the hanger I-l above the sleeves S, the position of the lower end 26 of strings R is preselected to engage the sleeves S and retain the sleeves S in their lowermost position against the force of the springs 20. This is clearly illustrated in FIG. I. When the tubing hanger has been landed and is latched into position in body B by the latch 28 which is seen in FIG. [0, then the running strings R are removed. The removal of the running strings R is shown in FIG. 2. As shown, the upward threading of the running strings R allows the sleeves S to move upwardly responsive to the force exerted by springs 20 closing the valves V.

Before production can be commenced. the diverter plug P is lowered into position within the diverter body B as shown in FIG. 3. The diverter plug P latches in seated position in body B and has the stingers 30 which engage within the upper end of the bores in the tubing hanger H. The lower end of the stingers 30 engage the upper end of sleeve S in its upper position but do not move the sleeve S downwardly. The diverter plug P defines the production passages 32 to the production lines 34. When the valves V are open, the production lines 34 are in communication with the interiors of their respective tubing strings T. 

1. A well production apparatus, comprising a pair of tubing strings, a tubing string hanger for connecting to and supporting said tubing strings, means for supporting said tubing hanger in a well bore of a producing well, completion means connecting to said hanger and providing connections extending out of the well bore, pressure responsive valve means mounted in one of said tubing hanger and said completion means and adapted to open and close flow through said tubing strings, means supplying a fluid under pressure to said pressure responsive valve means to remotely actuate said pressure responsive valve means, and means for retaining said valve means in open position during running of said valve means into said well bore which retaining means includes a chamber defined in said completion means and having an inlet and an outlet, the chamber inlet connecting to said supply means, the chamber outlet connecting to said valve means, a piston slidably positioned in said chamber and adapted in one extreme position to shut off communication through said chamber between said inlet and said outlet and in its other extreme position to establish communication between said inlet and said outlet, said piston in said one position trapping fluid in said pressure responsive valve means to hold said valve means open, and means for retaining said piston in said one extreme position and for moving said piston from said one extreme position to said other extreme position to allow said valve means to close.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said piston retaining and moving means includes means for trapping fluid pressure behind said piston to urge said piston to said one extreme position, and means for relieving the fluid pressure from behind said piston whereby the pressure trapped by said piston in said pressure responsive valve means moves said piston to said other extreme position.
 3. A well production apparatus, comprising a tubing string, means supporting said tubing string within a well bore, completion means connecting to said tubing string and extending out of said well bore, pressure-responsive valve means mounted in one of said tubing string support means and said completion means to open and close flow from said tubing string, means supplying a fluid under pressure to said pressure-responsive valve means whereby flow from said tubing string is remotely controlled, means for retaining said valve means in open position while said valve means is being installed in the well bore, and a running tool connecting to said completion means, said running tool when connected to said completion means engaging said valve means within said tubing string to maintain said valve means in open position. 